Upper airway obstruction in an adolescent: Can airway foreign bodies be missed without self-reporting?

• Published in: Respiratory medicine case reports Vol. 29; p. 101029
• Main Authors: Fukumasa, Hiroshi, Tsuji, Satoshi, Kawamura, Kengo, Nishimura, Nao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Airway foreign body; Case Report; Chewing gum; Delayed diagnosis; Misdiagnosis; Misdiagnosis; Chewing gum; Airway foreign body; Delayed diagnosis; Adolescent
• ISSN: 2213-0071; 2213-0071
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101029

Upper airway obstruction due to foreign body aspiration is rare in adolescents. Diagnosis of the same is difficult, and incorrect, delay of treatment is common in patients with no aspiration history. Herein, we describe the case of a 15-year-old boy who presented with upper airway obstruction because of swallowing chewing gum 4 days before presentation. The patient was initially misdiagnosed and was scheduled for an emergency tracheotomy. However, this unnecessary surgical procedure was narrowly avoided because his symptoms resolved after he expelled the chewing gum from his airway. Despite being questioned several times about aspiration of any foreign bodies, he did not self-report the incident because he did not suspect that his symptoms were due to swallowing of the chewing gum.
•Foreign bodies must always be considered for upper airway obstruction.•Delayed diagnosis is caused by physicians and no foreign body aspiration history.•Clinicians should develop clinical acumen and skill to tackle airway foreign body.